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Title: Systematic assessment of wellbore integrity for geologic carbon storage projects using regulatory and industry information

Abstract

Under this three year project, the condition of legacy oil and gas wells in the Midwest United States was evaluated through analysis of well records, well plugging information, CBL evaluation, sustained casing pressure (SCP) field testing, and analysis of hypothetical CO2 test areas to provide a realistic description of wellbore integrity factors. The research included a state-wide review of oil and gas well records for Ohio and Michigan, along with more detailed testing of wells in Ohio. Results concluded that oil and gas wells are clustered along fields in areas. Well records vary in quality, and there may be wells that have not been identified in records, but there are options for surveying unknown wells. Many of the deep saline formations being considered for CO2 storage have few wells that penetrate the storage zone or confining layers. Research suggests that a variety of well construction and plugging approaches have been used over time in the region. The project concluded that wellbore integrity is an important issue for CO2 storage applications in the Midwest United States. Realistic CO2 storage projects may cover an area in the subsurface with several hundred legacy oil and gas wells. However, closer inspection may often establishmore » that most of the wells do not penetrate the confining layers or storage zone. Therefore, addressing well integrity may be manageable. Field monitoring of SCP also indicated that tested wells provided zonal isolation of the reservoirs they were designed to isolate. Most of these wells appeared to exhibit gas pressure originating from intermediate zones. Based on these results, more flexibility in terms of cementing wells to surface, allowing well testing, and monitoring wells may aid operators in completing CO2 storage project. Several useful products were developed under this project for examining wellbore integrity for CO2 storage applications including, a database of over 4 million items on well integrity parameters in the study areas, a systematic CBL evaluation tool for rating cement in boreholes, SCP field testing procedures and analysis methodology, a process for summarizing well integrity at CO2 storage fields, a statistical analysis of well integrity indicators, and an assessment of practical methods and costs necessary to repair/remediate typical wells in the region based on assessment of six test study areas. Project results may benefit both CO2 storage and improved oil recovery applications. This study of wellbore integrity is a useful precursor to support development of geologic storage in the Midwest United States because it sheds more light on the actual well conditions (rather than the perceived condition) of historic oil and gas wells in the region.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1]
  1. Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1235555
DOE Contract Number:  
FE0009367
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Citation Formats

Moody, Mark, and Sminchak, J.R. Systematic assessment of wellbore integrity for geologic carbon storage projects using regulatory and industry information. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.2172/1235555.
Moody, Mark, & Sminchak, J.R. Systematic assessment of wellbore integrity for geologic carbon storage projects using regulatory and industry information. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1235555
Moody, Mark, and Sminchak, J.R. 2015. "Systematic assessment of wellbore integrity for geologic carbon storage projects using regulatory and industry information". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1235555. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1235555.
@article{osti_1235555,
title = {Systematic assessment of wellbore integrity for geologic carbon storage projects using regulatory and industry information},
author = {Moody, Mark and Sminchak, J.R.},
abstractNote = {Under this three year project, the condition of legacy oil and gas wells in the Midwest United States was evaluated through analysis of well records, well plugging information, CBL evaluation, sustained casing pressure (SCP) field testing, and analysis of hypothetical CO2 test areas to provide a realistic description of wellbore integrity factors. The research included a state-wide review of oil and gas well records for Ohio and Michigan, along with more detailed testing of wells in Ohio. Results concluded that oil and gas wells are clustered along fields in areas. Well records vary in quality, and there may be wells that have not been identified in records, but there are options for surveying unknown wells. Many of the deep saline formations being considered for CO2 storage have few wells that penetrate the storage zone or confining layers. Research suggests that a variety of well construction and plugging approaches have been used over time in the region. The project concluded that wellbore integrity is an important issue for CO2 storage applications in the Midwest United States. Realistic CO2 storage projects may cover an area in the subsurface with several hundred legacy oil and gas wells. However, closer inspection may often establish that most of the wells do not penetrate the confining layers or storage zone. Therefore, addressing well integrity may be manageable. Field monitoring of SCP also indicated that tested wells provided zonal isolation of the reservoirs they were designed to isolate. Most of these wells appeared to exhibit gas pressure originating from intermediate zones. Based on these results, more flexibility in terms of cementing wells to surface, allowing well testing, and monitoring wells may aid operators in completing CO2 storage project. Several useful products were developed under this project for examining wellbore integrity for CO2 storage applications including, a database of over 4 million items on well integrity parameters in the study areas, a systematic CBL evaluation tool for rating cement in boreholes, SCP field testing procedures and analysis methodology, a process for summarizing well integrity at CO2 storage fields, a statistical analysis of well integrity indicators, and an assessment of practical methods and costs necessary to repair/remediate typical wells in the region based on assessment of six test study areas. Project results may benefit both CO2 storage and improved oil recovery applications. This study of wellbore integrity is a useful precursor to support development of geologic storage in the Midwest United States because it sheds more light on the actual well conditions (rather than the perceived condition) of historic oil and gas wells in the region.},
doi = {10.2172/1235555},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1235555}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}